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Old 10-15-2009, 05:38 PM
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Default grease fitting access

I did an oil change and grease job on 2041 last weekend. I could access all the grease fittings except the driveshaft. Any advice on how to get to them from underneath, or does the tunnel have to come off ? The car has 39,000 miles, so how important is it to grease the driveshaft u-joints.......how often do you guys do this? thanks
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Old 10-15-2009, 05:55 PM
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I did an oil change and grease job on 2041 last weekend. I could access all the grease fittings except the driveshaft. Any advice on how to get to them from underneath, or does the tunnel have to come off ? The car has 39,000 miles, so how important is it to grease the driveshaft u-joints.......how often do you guys do this? thanks
It's really important to grease them, and the front drive shaft u-joint can be a real bitc_ to get to. Here's a Spicer video I posted a couple of years ago showing you the proper method of purging the four posts. http://ujoint.kickme.to You should purge them at least every 10,000 miles or so. Since you can't get to it from beneath, I would first try removing the four screws that hold the shifter boot ring and see if you can get to it with a longer extension through that hole. If you can't do it that way, then your next option is to remove tha passenger seat and cut a small access panel under the carpet and through the tunnel. That would be pretty quick and easy. Your final option is to remove the tunnel.

EDIT -- What's blocking the rear drive shaft u-joint? That one is usually easier to get to, at least on my car -- FIAs must be different.

Last edited by patrickt; 10-15-2009 at 06:17 PM.. Reason: Added additional thought
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Old 10-15-2009, 06:24 PM
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Default grease fitting access

Wow, there's more to it than I thought. When I couldn't see the front u-joint, I didn't try to see the rear. And, I didn't have the car very high on jack stands, so it was hard to get a good view. I'll try again at next opportunity, per your suggestions. Thanks for the quick reply.
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Old 10-15-2009, 06:28 PM
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When I couldn't see the front u-joint, I didn't try to see the rear.
I think you'll find the rear one to be pretty easy -- it is on my car. And I think with a long extension and a swivel head that you can get the front one via the shifter boot hole. Somewhere I've got a picture that I took of the front u-joint through the shifter boot hole. I'll see if I can find it and post it.
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Old 10-15-2009, 06:34 PM
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OK, this is what it looks like through the shift boot hole. I think you can do it:


Last edited by patrickt; 10-26-2016 at 10:24 AM..
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Old 10-15-2009, 07:21 PM
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Default grease fitting access

Fantastic! Thanks for the help and photo, I really appreciate it.
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Old 10-15-2009, 08:56 PM
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patrickt,
I'm in awe at your knowledge, experience, patience, and cool at which you answer a lost soul's dire questions. I'm new to this forum and a new owner also and am one happy dude to have people like you answering our seemingly difficult questions. Actually there are several of you but you seem to come to mind. Thank you. 209
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Old 10-16-2009, 05:13 AM
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patrickt,
I'm in awe at your knowledge, experience, patience, and cool at which you answer a lost soul's dire questions. I'm new to this forum and a new owner also and am one happy dude to have people like you answering our seemingly difficult questions. Actually there are several of you but you seem to come to mind. Thank you. 209
Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth.
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Old 10-16-2009, 05:44 AM
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Next time I have access to a car-in-progress with a visible driveshaft, I'll see whether I can build in an access hole for the front grease fitting. I've got a top-view picture of a Richmond Gear setup and it looks "interesting" for an oval hole that covers the varying length of the shafts necessary for all the transmissions that we support. It's pretty close.

Alternately, maybe a hole in the tunnel with a snap-in plug (with a piece of carpet glued on) might be the best approach.
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Old 10-16-2009, 05:50 AM
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Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth.
Modest too...
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Old 10-16-2009, 06:25 AM
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Yes, I think both RodKnock & ERAChas will agree with you that I am indeed the salt of the earth.

SALT is not the term that comes to my mind...

And you Rod?
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Old 10-16-2009, 06:29 AM
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You could always install a set of Ford u-joints that do not have a grease fitting. No need to grease them, just replace them about every 150,000 miles.
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Old 10-16-2009, 07:33 AM
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You could always install a set of Ford u-joints that do not have a grease fitting. No need to grease them, just replace them about every 150,000 miles.
Everything that I have read from Spicer (and other manufacturers) seems to indicate that for our Cobras the greaseless u-joints would be just as good, if not better, than the greasable ones. But it's easier now to just grease them than it is to replace them.
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Old 10-16-2009, 07:35 AM
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SALT is not the term that comes to my mind...
Sugar, perhaps?
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Old 10-16-2009, 08:22 AM
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I will ask our driveshaft expert whether he thinks that a permanent (greaseless) joint would work better in our situation.
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Old 10-16-2009, 08:33 AM
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The permanent ones are better because they are stronger, the fact that you don't need to grease them is secondary
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Old 10-16-2009, 10:00 AM
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The greaseless u-joints are a good way to go if you have access problems. On my Contemporary, I have easy access to the rear and I can drop the drive shaft out in 10 minutes time for the front. So, I've stuck with the greaseable guys. I will probably change if they need replacement.
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Old 10-16-2009, 03:59 PM
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I went greaseless after this happened:



This was a Spicer u-joint with only about 15 or 20,000 miles on it.
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Old 10-16-2009, 04:32 PM
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Default grease fitting access

Now I'm wondering how the greaseless design can get 150,000 miles.......what magic allows that? Must be newer technology grease......thanks again to all of you for the sharing of knowledge and experience. That last photo is worth 1000 words. I assume it gave no advance warning, or you would have done something......I expected I would hear or feel something.
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Old 10-16-2009, 04:40 PM
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I went greaseless after this happened:



This was a Spicer u-joint with only about 15 or 20,000 miles on it.
How did that happen? Were you at the track with slicks on?
Please share that story.
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